Common Cause expresses disappointment in Senate ethics resolution

The Rhode Island Senate set back the cause of government ethics today. By passing S 2824 Sub-A as amended, the Senate approved a resolution that will, if approved by the House of Representatives, put a constitutional amendment on the November ballot. That amendment will make significant changes to the state’s Ethics Commission, including increasing its membership, slightly expanding its jurisdiction over legislators, and granting a de novo trial to anyone who appeals an Ethics Commission ruling.

“We are disappointed to see the Senate vote to support such a flawed constitutional amendment,” says John Marion, Common Cause Executive Director. “Rhode Island has been a leader on this issue, with one of the strongest Ethics Commissions in the United States, and this amendment weakens our process.” Common Cause has been joined in opposition to the resolution by the League of Women Voters, Operation Clean Government, and the Rhode Island Taxpayers.